Whom He Loveth, He Chastens
Yesterday for scripture study I was studying in D&C about chastening, which led me to a fairly recent talk by Elder Christofferson about that very topic. In the talk, he shares a classic story by Elder Hugh B. Brown:
April 2011: “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten”
God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should have done--that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”
http://www.lds.org/general-
The story reminded me of all the times in my life I have thought I knew better that Heavenly Father what was best for me. And it also reminds me that the painful experiences we have in life are for our growth and a necessary part of our mortal existence. Elder Maxwell said that we must each face our own Gethsemane in our journey to become like the Savior. That is the time when we must fully and completely rely upon the Savior and the healing power of His Atonement to pull us through. I think these trials in our lives are warm-ups to prepare us and help us for the Gethsemanes that we will eventually face. It's like training for a marathon. You don't just hit the road on the day of the race. It's impossible to make it through without the months of sacrifice, pain, and even joy leading up to that day.
Elder Christofferson and the section in D&C made me think - am I willing to be chastened? Am I humble enough that I desire that correction?
Elsewhere in the talk Elder Christofferson points out that "we should take care not to resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature." And, "Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct."
Isn't it awesome that we have the Gospel to help us? I know that I don't always (usually) respond appropriately to the trials in my life. I pout. I whine. I complain. I wish for something else.
My hope is that increased understanding of the purposes and blessing of trials will help me bear them with more grace, humility, faith, and gratitude.
Bonus reading:
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1022 - Elder Maxwell
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1398 - Sister Camille Fronk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/encircled-in-the-arms-of-his-love - Elder Maxwell
https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/that-we-might-not-shrink-d-c-19-18?lang=eng - Elder Bednar
April 2011: “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten”
God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should have done--that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”
http://www.lds.org/general-
The story reminded me of all the times in my life I have thought I knew better that Heavenly Father what was best for me. And it also reminds me that the painful experiences we have in life are for our growth and a necessary part of our mortal existence. Elder Maxwell said that we must each face our own Gethsemane in our journey to become like the Savior. That is the time when we must fully and completely rely upon the Savior and the healing power of His Atonement to pull us through. I think these trials in our lives are warm-ups to prepare us and help us for the Gethsemanes that we will eventually face. It's like training for a marathon. You don't just hit the road on the day of the race. It's impossible to make it through without the months of sacrifice, pain, and even joy leading up to that day.
Elder Christofferson and the section in D&C made me think - am I willing to be chastened? Am I humble enough that I desire that correction?
Elsewhere in the talk Elder Christofferson points out that "we should take care not to resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature." And, "Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct."
Isn't it awesome that we have the Gospel to help us? I know that I don't always (usually) respond appropriately to the trials in my life. I pout. I whine. I complain. I wish for something else.
My hope is that increased understanding of the purposes and blessing of trials will help me bear them with more grace, humility, faith, and gratitude.
Bonus reading:
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1022 - Elder Maxwell
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1398 - Sister Camille Fronk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/encircled-in-the-arms-of-his-love - Elder Maxwell
https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/that-we-might-not-shrink-d-c-19-18?lang=eng - Elder Bednar
Lol. I'm guessing this is a subtle way of responding to my post? Thanks for sharing. I do truly feel that my current trials are ultimately for my good. I received a nice blessing a few weeks ago that really made me think about that. I just wish... it didn't hurt so much to be cut down or stretched.
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